Plans to convert Roxbury warehouse into immigration detention center delayed for environmental review

Plans to convert a Roxbury warehouse into an immigration detention center are delayed after the federal administration agreed to conduct an environmental assessment of the facility, which can take months to complete. In March, N.J. and Roxbury township filed a lawsuit against the federal government to stop the plans. The complaint said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement violated four federal laws by failing to conduct environmental reviews, solicit feedback from town officials, select a facility with adequate water and sewer systems, and assess the site’s habitability. The 470,000-square-foot warehouse at 1879 Route 46 was purchased on Feb. 28, marking the third detention facility for migrants in N.J. The other two are privately-owned jails in Elizabeth and Newark. The warehouse’s current owner, Dalfen Industrial, made the sale despite township and community opposition.

From New Jersey Monitor.